Believe it or not, for being such a simple, uncomplicated product, Lego has some particularly clever and thought-provoking advertisements (here and here). Already three years old, this campaign celebrating 55 years of the Lego brand is basically a series of 55 visual riddles, fittingly featuring little more than the iconic bricks. The great minds at Swiss agency Cavalcade are behind these fantastically clever designs, which, much like Legos themselves, inspire a great deal of imagination. We must admit, we’re still struggling to solve many of these, but it’s so satisfying having solved the ones we did. Answer key to the few ads featured here at the bottom of this post. No peeking, try to figure them out for yourself!

Answers (in order of images): Yellow Submarine, Alice in Wonderland, Three Little Pigs, Purple Rain, Jaws, Spider-Man, The White Stripes, Hunger Games, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Bob Marley and the Wailers, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jackson 5, King Kong, Titanic, Stairway to Heaven, I Walk the Line, The Beatles, New Kids on the Block, Little Red Riding Hood, Clockwork Orange, Men in Black, Rolling Stones

Legos and art have been crossing paths for years now (here and here and here). These colorful bricks that come in a vast spectrum of colors inspire not only young children, but also creative-thinking adults the world over. We are in awe of this brilliant ad campaign for Lego from a few years back, featuring highly minimalistic configurations of single-stud bricks depicting some of the most iconic paintings by masters from da Vinci to van Gogh. The human brain is truly intriguing. The fact that most people would recognize these works of art, with mere hints of details, really is amazing when we think about it. Kudos to Milan-based art director Marco Sodano for the clever concept and flawless execution.

Simpsons fan or not, this massive replica of Springfield is utterly impressive. No kit or instructions here for Illinois-based master Lego builder (and fellow graphic designer) Matt De Lanoy. This Simpsons super fan and Lego lord exhibits an incredible attention to details with these colorful bricks. From Krusty Burger to Moe’s Tavern, Kwik-E-Mart to Ned Flanders’ house, De Lanoy managed to build some of the most recognized landmarks featured in the animated series’ famed history, now going into its 26th season. More Lego posts here and here and here.

It’s widely known that we love Legos. Such a pure, highly creative toy for all ages. And we really appreciate when people find new ways to express themselves through these brilliant little bricks (here and here and here). This amazing Lego DSLR by Taiwanese Lego enthusiast known simply as RGB900 is no exception. The details are awesome: lens made from rubber Lego tires (complete with red ring found on some Canon lenses), hot shoe mount complete with removable flash, and flexible strap, presumably built using Lego tank tread parts. One word: wow!

Like this:

We’ve shared our fascination with Legos before (here and here and here), but we’d be remiss to not mention New York-based artist Nathan Sawaya. He has taken the use of Legos as an art medium to a whole new level. With more than 1.5 million colored bricks in his New York art studio at any given time, Sawaya painstakingly transforms these tiny bricks into incredible sculptures. “These works are very personal to me, since they reflect my growth as an artist as I strove to discover my creative identity,” says Sawaya. Be sure to check out his traveling exhibition, The Art of the Brick, currently touring North America and Australia.